*Currently seeking distribution outside of the United States. Please contact me for a private screener.

Until He’s Back

SHORT DOCUMENTARY | 40 MINS | MOROCCO & SPAIN | 2024

Roles: Director, Producer, Writer

After learning that his son, Yahya, has died at sea trying to get to Spain, Ahmed Tchiche must find a way to bring his remains back to Morocco so he and his family can have a proper goodbye. Through interweaving threads, "Until He's Back" explores a dangerous journey across the Mediterranean and the difficulty of returning the bodies of those who drown at sea. In this story of grief and hope, a family and a community try to make sense of the tragedy that took Yahya away.

Press: Deadline, Eye For Film, The Cinema Group, Oscars

Awards & Recognition

  • Big Sky Documentary Film Festival | Winner, Best Short Documentary

  • Hamptons International Film Festival | Winner, Best Short Documentary

  • Mountainfilm Festival | Best Short Film Special Jury Mention

  • El Paso Film Festival | Winner, Best Short Documentary

  • IDA Best Short Documentary | Nominee

  • 97th Academy Awards® | Shortlist

  • SIMA 2025 | Winner, Best Documentary & Best Audio, Short Documentary Category

Official Selections

  • Big Sky Documentary Film Festival — February 2024

  • Tampere Film Festival — March 2024

  • San Francisco International Film Festival — April 2024

  • Mountainfilm Festival — May 2024

  • Festival de Cine de Tarifa y Tanger — May 2024

  • DC/DOX — June 2024

  • Woods Hole Film Festival — July 2024

  • DokuFest — August 2024

  • El Paso Film Festival — September 2024

  • Hamptons International Film Festival — October 2024

  • Buffalo International Film Festival — October 2024

  • Woodstock Film Festival — October 2024

  • DOC NYC (Shorts Shortlist) — November 2024

  • IDFA — November 2024

  • PriMed - Festival de la Méditerranée — December 2024